ASD PRACTICES OF THE HINDUS. 9?rt 



The last instance is an act of matricide, perpetrated 

 by Beech u k. and Adher, two Brahmen; > and zemin- 

 dars, or proprietors of landed estates, the extent of 

 which did not exceed eight acres. The village in. 

 which they resided was the property of many other 

 fcemindars. A dispute, which originated in a com- 

 petition for the general fuperintendence of the reve- 

 nues of the village, had long subsisted between 

 the two brothers and a pcrfon named Go wry ; and 

 the officer of government, who had conferred this 

 charge upon the latter, was intimidated into a revo- 

 cation of it by the threats of the mother of Be echo k 

 and Ad her to swallow poison, as well as to the transfer 

 of the management to the two Brdhmens. By the 

 same means of intimidation he was deterred from 

 investigating the complaints of Cowry, which had 

 been referred to his enquiry by his superior autho- 

 rity. 



But the immediate cause which instigated the 

 Brdhmens to murder their mother, was an act of vio- 

 lence, said to have been committed by the emis- 

 saries of Go wry, with or without his authority, 

 and employed by him for a different purpose, 

 in entering their house, during their absence at 

 night, and carrying off forty rupees, the property of 

 Beech uk and Adher, from the apartments of their 

 women. 



Beechuk first returned to his house, where his 

 mother, his wife, and his sister-in-law, related what 

 had happened. He immediately conducted his mo- 

 ther to an adjacent rivulet, where, being joined in rjfcc 



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